


Tea at Three

by DorthyAnn (JenniferMarie)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Auror Harry Potter, Blood, Blood and Injury, Injury, M/M, Potioneer Draco Malfoy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-13
Updated: 2017-11-15
Packaged: 2019-01-16 16:18:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12346224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenniferMarie/pseuds/DorthyAnn
Summary: Draco Malfoy is the head potion brewer for the Ministry's onsite supply. Every day at three he goes to the nearest break room which coincidentally happens to be the auror break room, where he always seems run into Harry Potter, who might also be waiting just for him. It's most certainly not the highlight of his day and he certainly doesn't hold anything other than friendly feelings towards Potter. It's just tea. Nothing more than tea at three.





	1. Chapter 1

“I’ll take over,” Donna said in her light Irish accent right behind his shoulder, nearly making Draco drop his stirring rod.

“You will do no such thing,” Draco said, leaning protectively over his cauldron.

Donna sighed, “It’s nearly three, innit? You always go on break at three. You’re only finishing up a blood replenishing potion, I can manage that much.”

Draco glanced over at the clock on the wall which showed five til and tried to pretend it didn’t matter, “It’s just tea. Blood replenishing potions aren’t cheap or easy to make.”

Donna was not amused. A few strands of her tightly curled black hair had fallen around her face and pushed them back irritably, “I could finish ‘em in my sleep. The first half’s the hard part. Come on then.” she nudged his shoulder.

Draco glared at her, “I  _am_  your superior.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Donna rolled her eyes, “Hired a whole year ahead of me, good on ya.”

“Why is this important to you?” Draco asked suspiciously.

Donna smirked a bit, “Your snake is showing.”

“That could be taken as harassment,” Draco said, raising an eyebrow.

Donna frowned at him, eyes narrowing. Her dark skin hid any flush of embarrassment she might have had.

The timer went off announcing that it was time for the next ingredient followed by stirring clockwise ten times, counter five. Donna did not interrupt him until he’d finished and set the next timer.

“First off,” Donna ticked a finger, “you aren’t really my type so I wouldn’t bother. Second off, you’re queer as a bottle of chips an’ don’t deny it.”

Draco flushed and glared furiously at her, though he neither confirmed nor denied it, it wasn’t worth the trouble where Donna was concerned, especially when they both knew it was true.

“As for why it’s important to me, well,” she glanced away with a grin, “you always come back in a good mood so don’t have to deal with nearly as much of your pissing an’ moaning.”

Draco stiffened, “I do not-”

“That, and you an’ Auror Potter are bloody cute together,” she went on.

Draco flushed from his collarbone all the way up to his ears, “I- We are- It’s not-” he protested.

Donna grinned, put her hand firmly on his shoulder and slowly pushed him out of his chair, sitting down in his place, “Very cute,” she said with a nod, holding her hand out for the stirring rod.

Draco was very tempted not to give it to her. Donna was his  _assistant_ , she wasn’t supposed to order him about, not that that had ever stopped her so far.

“You’re going to be late.” Donna said, glancing pointedly at the clock, “What if he doesn’t wait for you?”

Draco followed her gaze, where the clock’s minute hand helpfully ticked off three o'clock to three o’ one. “Fine,” he said with a haughty sniff, turning on his heel and leaving their small office laboratory, already planning to have Donna process the flobber worm delivery for their stock room once he got back. He would have anyway but now it would feel far more satisfying.

Draco hurried down the back hallway they had been relegated to when the new department had been established. He had to edge past two aurors standing in the middle of the hall who pointedly looked at him and then didn’t move. He raised his chin and pretended they were less than flobber worm slime, which didn’t stop him overhearing one of them raise his voice to say- “Of course,  _some people_  get things they haven’t earned.” “Out of pity,” the other said even louder.

Draco kept his gaze fixed ahead of himself and didn’t change his stride. It wasn’t as if it was anything new, after all.

There were a few more aurors in the small tea room, two of which pointedly left when Draco stepped inside. Draco honestly didn’t care because Harry was there, sitting at one of the small tables with two mugs of tea and a brilliant smile, just for him.

“You’re late,” Harry said, nudging the chair out next to him with his boot.

“I was finishing up a potion,” Draco said as he sat, taking the mug Harry handed to him. Brewed strong enough to strip paint with two sugars, just how he liked it.

Potter’s own mug was light and milky, brewed with tea he brought in himself because he was very particular about his favourite brand.

“I still can’t believe you like the stuff they have here. I always imagine you liking fruity green teas,” Harry said.

Draco smirked faintly, “Well, we can’t all conform to stereotypes, can we?”

“I’m not a stereotype,” Harry said mock-defensively, a smile playing on his lips.

“Not when it comes to tea,” Draco agreed, raising an eyebrow at Harry’s mug.

Harry laughed which Draco never got tired of hearing.

“What potion were you brewing?” Potter asked.

Draco smiled a small pleased smile that Harry cared to ask. “Just some blood replenishing potions. Your lot depleted of our stock last week,” he tried to sound scolding, ignoring the little feeling of unease that Harry could have been one of the ones that might have needed it.

“You make twice as much as we could ever need,” Potter said.

Draco sipped his tea, “Better to be safe, with lives on the line.”

“Yeah,” Harry smiled at him, his eyes shining. He glanced away, turning his mug in his hands, “Your potions are loads better than the ones at Mungo’s. Theirs are always a little thin and bitter.”

“They need fresher ingredients.” Draco hid his smile in his mug until he could control his expression. He cleared his throat, “So how’s your case going?”

“You know I can’t tell you any details-”

“Is it going well or not, Potter?” Draco asked, rolling his eyes.

Harry laughed, “Right, right. It’s…. progressing. Not as well as I’d like but-” he shrugged, “-they never do.”

“Patience.” Draco council sagely, “You don’t want to strain your fragile mind.”

Harry fought down a grin and kicked Draco lightly under the table, “Shut it, you prat.”

“I shall do no such thing,” Draco said with a sniff.

“Probably for the best,” Harry said with faux-solemnity, “if you suddenly started acting nice I’d think you were ill.”

“Git,” Draco said without any bite.

“Harry,” Weasley’s voice proceeded him as he came into the room and to their table looking harried, “I know you’re on break but Robard’s wants to meet with us. Jacobs found a lead in his case, might be connected to ours.”

“Jacob’s case? Bloody hell,” Harry muttered, taking a gulp of tea.

Draco plucked the empty mug from Harry’s hand and got an appreciative smile for his trouble. He did his best to look annoyed and waved Harry off impatiently.

Weasley lingered behind, looking like he meant to say something to Draco.

Draco stood, picking up both mugs, he raised his eyebrow at Weasley.

Before Weasley could figure out how his mouth worked, a hand roughly shoved Draco from the back as a young auror went past, splattering tea all up over his robes.

Draco swore and pulled out his wand to spell the liquid off before it stained. When he looked back up Weasley was gone.

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

“I think you should ask him out,” Donna said.

Draco stifled a sigh and drawled, “ _Amazing,_  and here I was just thinking you ought to mind your own business.”

“I’m pretty certain he fancies you,” Donna went on.

Draco looked up from his inventory sheet, found Donna smirking and glared at her. “What’s the count on the calming draughts?”

Donna pouted briefly and then looked over the neat rows of pale pink potions, all in unbreakable beakers, capped in a pale white waxy substance. “Twenty-nine.”

Draco frowned at the untidy number but wrote it down. Some wizard brought in for questioning just had to have a breakdown and actually  _use_  one of his potions. If things were quiet he could arrange to brew just enough for one vial. It was fussy and unnecessary with his stock levels but he had a fondness for brewing reduced potions, if for no other reason than seeing if he could.

Dona's finger moved as she carefully began counting the next and last potion on their inventory. “Fifty wound-cleanse,” she said.

“Perfect,” Draco said absently, finishing the form and duplicating it before sending one down to admin and beginning to write out a schedule for the next weeks brewing based on their current inventory.

“He goes out of his way to have tea with you every day an’ that’s not easy for those auror types,” Donna said, dropping down into the chair beside him.

Draco made a noise of acknowledgement, hoping she would drop it.

She did not.

“I know you fancy the tits off him,” Donna went on.

Draco felt himself flush and cursed internally. He said stiffly, “I most certainly  _do not_. I appreciate his friendship.”

“And his arse,” Donna grinned.

Draco felt the flush go red hot, “That is highly inappropriate and I-”

The door slammed open, “Raid’s gone bad! You’re needed on the ground now!” An auror shouted, only pausing long enough to throw them a cloth sack containing an emergency portkey.

Draco rushed to the cabinets, pulling out two bandoleers covered in cloth loops that perfectly fit vials he was already charming into them, antidotes, calming draughts, wound cleanse, burn heal, bone repair, deep sleep, and a great deal of blood replenishing potion. He pulled his bandoleer on, pushing the other in Donna’s unresisting hands as he snatched up the portkey sack.

Donna’s was shaking as she fumbled the potions over her chest, “I don’t- I’ve never-!”

Draco acciod another calming draught, “Take a sip, follow my instructions. The worst of it will be over once we arrive.

Donna nodded, tapping the top of the vial with her wand, making the waxy substance disappear, and took rather more than a sip.

Draco gave her a disproving look and took the vial and a very small sip to calm his own nerves before opening the sack. He grabbed Donna’s hand, “Lace your fingers with mine,” he ordered. Once she had, he grabbed hold of the empty tin inside and they were pulled away and-

-landed with a sickening lurch in a street filled with smoke and the acrid smell of dark magic and blood. A high screeching wail like nails on a chalkboard rose behind them, signalling a massive magic rebound.

“Over here!” A voice yelled.

Draco ducked and pulled Donna with him to an overturned muggle bus that was providing cover for the injured. Weasley was in charge of the lot of them, his attention divided between what was happening further down the street and the junior aurors attempting to stabilise their comrades.

Draco zeroed in on an auror with a massive gash on his thigh, darkening the colour of his red robes to nearly black.

“You remember the diagnostic spells?” Draco said to Donna, casting it quickly and hoping she wasn’t so close to panic as to be useless

Donna nodded stiffly, her eyes wide.

Draco knelt by the auror, pushing his hands out of the way as he cut his trousers and got the cloth out of the wound.“Stop bleeding first, clean the wounds, then heal them-” The diagnostic showed no internal bleeding so he opened a vial of wound-cleanse and poured it over the gash. “Use blood replenishing potions if they’re going into shock but not if-”

“They have internal bleeding,” Donna finished shakily, kneeling next to him, to give the auror a calming draught.

Draco nodded, as he cast a healing charm over the wound, “If they’re in danger give them the deep sleep, it will buy us time until the healers arrive.”

“That might be a while!” Weasley shouted over a distant explosion. “Right after you came in one of them tried to tear down our anti-apparition wards and did a botch job; magic surges all throughout the boundaries. No one’s coming in or out unless they want to end up minced.” He turned away abruptly, his hand pressing a little black device in his ear which told him something that prompted him to shout orders back.

Once Draco was certain the healing charm was working, he moved onto the next auror. He cast diagnostics over the remaining eight wounded, handing out potions to the junior aurors for simple wound care and burns. Donna had shaken off her initial fear and was helping a young auror with a nasty head wound, her mouth set in a grim line. Draco went to an auror with short brown hair, showing no external wounds but pale with pain although she never cried out.

Draco cast a few more diagnostics over her. Her collarbone was broken, though luckily the bone hadn't moved so he didn't have to realign it. He took out a skele-grow and removed the seal, “You’re collarbone is broken. I’m going to give you this and then immobilize you while the potion works, understand?”

“Give it to me,” the auror demanded through gritted teeth.

Draco pressed the vial to her lips and petrified her torso as the potion took hold. Her breathing shot up and her eyes squeezed shut as she rode through a wave of brief excruciating pain, leaving her collarbone whole once more.

He turned to move to the next auror when she stopped him with a barked, “Wait!”

“Are you experiencing pain elsewhere?” he asked.

“No, take the spell off, I can go back out there,” she said.

Draco hesitated, “I don’t-”

Her voice ticked up in urgency, “Come on! Stop wasting time!”

Draco frowned at her. He yelled over at the bus, “Weasley!”

Weasley was peering around the side of the bus and hurried over to them, “It’s almost over now. We have the last of them cornered on the other end of the perimeter.” He looked over the wounded, “Everyone alright?”

Draco nodded, “No serious injuries, everyone’s stabilised.”

“Sir!” the Auror shouted over Draco, “I’m fit to go back out!”

Weasley looked down at her, shaking his head, “We’re nearly out of it now, Row, you stay-”

“I can help!” Row interrupted, rocking on the ground, trying to break the immobilization spell, “I can- I can-” her eyes lit up, “I can go out to check for more wounded! I can take him with me!” she nodded at Draco.

“Is she healed up?” Weasley asked quietly, rubbing his hand over his forehead and glanced towards the edge of the bus again.

“Broken collarbone but still fragile, easily re-broken,” Draco answered with growing unease.

Weasley nodded, keeping his voice at a whisper, “I wouldn’t do this normally but I don’t have any other aurors to spare and I lost contact with Harry ten minutes ago. He’s not with the main group.”

Draco’s chest squeezed painfully, “Potter is-”

“Not now,” Weasley grabbed his arm roughly. He released Row from the binding spell and waited until she was on her feet to continue, “The last of the suspects are three blocks down and two left, stay away from that area, check the other side. You know  _homenum revelio_?”

Draco nodded.

“Of course,” Row said, drawing her wand and adjusting her robes. She nearly bounced on her toes in anticipation.

“Good,” Weasley said and addressed Row firmly, “I swear to Merlin, Rowena, follow my orders. You go off half-incanted again and you’re on desk duty, you understand?”

Row frowned slightly, hiding the expression as well as she could as she straightened and said stiffly, “Yes, sir.”

Weasley hesitated and then nodded, “Off with you then.”

Row shot to the end of the bus, pressing her back against the dented metal and peering around the side with care and far too much excitement for Draco’s liking.

Weasley recruited another healed auror to go with them, sending him over to Row after repeating the orders he had given her.

Draco glanced over at Donna, making sure she was still doing well before he left.

Weasley rejoined Draco in a few long strides, his voice still low so only Draco could hear, “Harry had his invisibility cloak on. If he’s under it, the revealing charm won’t show him.”

Draco’s brow furrowed, he was certain invisibility cloaks couldn’t obfuscate homenum revelio that way.

“Just keep an eye out,” Weasley said, clapping his shoulder with anxious energy and drifting a few steps back.

Row glanced back at Draco impatiently, already ducking down, wand drawn, “Let’s go.”

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please mind the tags, this one's a little rough

Stone dust hung in the air like a fog. All along the abandoned muggle streets were signs of destruction, brick and mortar crumbled like children’s blocks and concrete bowed in like a half dried clay pot. The air smelled sour and bright, the dust pricking on the back of his throat dryer than desert sand. There was a boom in the distance, the street shaking faintly underfoot followed by a tense unnatural silence broken a minute later by the sound of bricks cascading across asphalt as a wall somewhere collapsed.

Draco stayed close behind the auror’s, his hand trembling faintly with adrenaline. Row was bright, vibrating with excitement. Her partner was an auror that was a permanent glower given human form, he hadn’t looked at Draco even once.

Row stopped at the edge of the next building, casting, “ _Homenum revelio_ ,” for the third time since they had slipped out from behind the bus. “Got it!” She hissed, bouncing on her toes before darting forward to a shop across the street.

Draco and Glower hurried after her into the building. The door had been blown inward, shelves had been knocked over, food scattered across the floor and underfoot and at the end of the destruction, an unconscious auror.

Row waved at Draco impatiently to hurry up and when it wasn’t fast enough, Glower grabbed Draco by the front of his robes and pulled him forward, letting go only to roughly shove him the rest of the way.

Draco shot Glower a glower of his own as he skidded through bags of crisps before kneeling next to the man and casting his diagnostics. It showed no wounds internal or external, but quite likely a concussion. Draco opened a pain potion before reviving the man with a  _rennervate._

“Hurry up!” Row said impatiently, wading through the debris back to the front of the shop and carefully peering around the side.

Draco didn’t bother dignifying that with an answer. He told the auror, “You hit your head. This will help,” he held out the potion, “It’s a pain-away potion,” he clarified impatiently at the man’s hesitation.

The man took the potion and Draco pulled him to his feet. Glower had joined Row at the door. Draco took the man to join them.

“Head injuries are dangerous. You need to return to the overturned bus where Weasley is and report to the healers as soon they arrive,” He told the man, and because aurors were in his experience stubborn idiots who would try and shrug off any injury no matter how life-threatening, he added coldly, “This could  _kill_ you. If you do not report to the healers I will track you down and drag you there personally, understood?”

The auror nodded nervously and after some very quick words with Glower, the injured auror was hidden under a disillusionment spell and headed towards the triage area.

Glower shifted over to look past Row’s shoulder, “Come on, let’s-”

There was a distant boom that made the shop shudder, the ceiling above them raining dust and creaking ominously. Draco ducked behind an empty shelf. He pulled himself up just in time to see Row running out of the shop  _towards_  the explosion.

Glower yelled at her to come back, took one look at Draco and then promptly left, chasing after Row and leaving Draco alone in the rubble.

Draco swore under his breath, trying desperately not to panic. He knew he should go back to the bus but if he did there was no way Weasley was going to send out another team and Harry was still out there. He couldn’t leave him.

Draco uncorked a calming draught and took a rather large swallow. He edged just far enough out to cast homenum revelio. He could see the faintest outlines of the fight a few blocks away, it looked like both sides had taken cover and were trying to wait the other out. Row had led them a lot closer to the fighting than Draco had realized but considering all he knew about Row, who was obviously lacking in even the barest amount of common sense to be a Ravenclaw, he was not surprised.

Draco cast a disillusionment over himself before slipping out of the shop and carefully making his way further up the street, parallel to the fighting, searching as he went. He reached the barrier and considered giving up, heading back but remembered that Weasley had said Potter wouldn’t be visible to the spell.

Knowing it was a bloody stupid thing to do, he nonetheless moved another block closer. He took care to study areas where it was apparent fighting had occurred, glancing over rubble-strewn streets, down scorched alleyways and damaged shops. Everything was so unnaturally silent that every shifting stone under Draco’s feet sounded like an avalanche. He edged past a broken wall, stepping into a shop that had almost been entirely gutted by a blasting spell. He raised his wand to cast another revealing spell and paused at the faint sound of- a bellows? A broken bellows?

A thunderous crash startled Draco backwards and he tripped, falling over something too warm and soft and too human. He looked down and saw his legs laying over something invisible and a standard issue dragon-hide boot. Draco quickly pushed the debris out of the way so he could kneel beside the figure, pulling off the fine silvery cloak covering them.

It was Harry, his normally tan skin ashen and panting in short laboured breaths, sweat beading on his brow. Draco reached up, touching his cheek and found it clammy and cool.

“Get a grip,” Draco muttered to himself, tightening his grip on his trembling wand and mentally commanding himself to stillness. He cast every diagnostic spell he knew, his chest growing tight with every red aura, jagged line and unsteady image. Internal bleeding into the chest cavity, through it was slow. Caused by a badly broken rib that had punctured the lining of Harry’s lung, the air from his lung was filling the lining and slowly collapsing it and the slow bleed wasn’t helping matters.

He felt a surge of panic and took every nerve he had left in his body the stay exactly as he was, as still as he could, forcing his whirling mind to think and be logical. Emotions wouldn’t help him here, the war had shown him that. Draco quickly put up a shield, a repelling charm, hopefully mild enough not to be noticed, and cast an illusion over them that would make them look like a collapsed pile of brick. He pulled the half used calming draught from his vest pocket and finished it, clinging to the false sense of ease it provided.

Draco pressed his wand to Harry’s skin, “  _Rennervate_ ,” he murmured.

Harry blinked, his mouth falling open as he tried to gasp and fell to coughing, panic creasing his expression, blood flecking over his pale lips.

Draco sat up, leaning over Harry, shards of stone and wood digging into his palm as he cupped Harry’s cheek, “Harry!  _Harry_  listen to me-”

Harry’s green eyes focused on him.

“Slow- You have to take short, shallow breaths.” Draco ordered, his voice surprisingly steady, “Your lung is collapsing, if you keep trying to breathe deeply or cough you’re only going to collapse it faster. Short, shallow breaths. I know it’s not comfortable but you have to do it, do you understand?”

Harry nodded slightly, his brow furrowing as he fought to bring his breathing under control and down to a short uncomfortable pace.

“I can’t do everything you need,” Draco said, biting his lip briefly, “but I can stabilise you until someone comes.”

Harry nodded again, looking at Draco with an expression of absolute trust that made his chest ache.

Draco swallowed hard, leaning back, “Before I can stop your internal bleeding I have to fix the bone that caused it. I normally immobilize the afflicted area so I can heal unimpeded, I can’t do that with you because you’re breathing is already so limited.”

Draco picked up his wand in his other hand, “It’s going to hurt and you can’t move. If you move, the bone might shift and heal improperly and will have the be rebroken and reset.” Draco hesitated, his analytical tone falling away, “Can you- Harry? I need you to do this.”

Harry nodded.

Draco gently traced the ridges of Harry’s ribs until he reached the damaged ones. He cast a quick little charm that put things back where they belong, keeping it small and focused and felt when the rib shunted sharply back into place.

Harry clenched his jaw, the tendons on his neck standing out as he fought to stay still.

Draco took out a skelegrow and removed the seal. He felt himself hesitate and knew it was stupid, it might hurt him but it would help more in the long run. He held the vial to Harry’s lips, “Ready?” he asked.

Harry met his eyes, “Dra-co,” the debris shifted as he lifted a shaking hand, reaching out imploringly.

Draco took it without thinking, squeezing Harry’s hand tightly.

Harry lifted his head slightly, swallowing the contents of the small vial with a grimace and a suppressed cough, letting his head fall back onto the ground. His breathing picked up, his shaking fingers squeezed Draco’s hand so hard it hurt.

Draco tossed the vial aside so he could hold Harry’s hand with both of his, “You can do this. If anyone can it’s you, Harry,” Draco said quietly.

Harry pried his eyes open, shooting Draco a look that quite clearly thought he was full of shit.

Draco could practically hear the teasing tone in his head. He managed a weak smile, “You’re the most stubborn fuck I’ve ever met, that’s why.”

Harry’s teeth flashed in a brief smile that was quickly lost under a grimace of pain.

It seemed like a thousand years passed before Harry’s breathing began to ease and the forehead smoothed. Draco let go of his hand to recast his diagnostics, running his hands over Harry’s side, tracing the previously broken rib and letting out a little sigh of relief.

“Good. It healed well,” he said aloud.

He needed to heal the internal puncture next. He hadn’t been taught many internal healing spells, they were delicate little things and the wrong spell in the wrong place could just as easily fuse the patient’s liver to their kidney if the caster didn’t know what they were doing. There was one very basic wound healing spell that had some effect internally as well as externally if he could get it to take hold and the wound was small enough.

“I’m going to try and heal the puncture in your lung,” Draco said.

“Dra-co,” Harry said faintly, his breathing still a shaky wheeze. His hand grabbed the fabric of Draco's robe, twisting it tightly in his hand. “Dra-co, nee-d to te- to tell-”

Draco put his hand on Harry’s forearm and smiled faintly, “Tell me when you’re better, Potter. Even if I can’t heal your lung, you’d still have probably an hour before you’d go into shock or hypoxia and even then I could put you into stasis.”

Harry relaxed slightly, his grip loosening, “Pro-mise?”

Draco nodded, “Yes, now shut up so I can work.”

Harry grinned faintly.

It took three tries to get the healing spell to work but once it did the internal bleeding stopped and Harry’s lung function stabilised. His lung was still partially collapsed and there was blood where it didn’t belong but he was no longer in immediate danger.

Draco was giving Harry a blood replenishing potion when the sky filled with streams of green sparks.

Harry coughed down the rest of the potion and nodded to them, “We-re safe now.”

Draco wiped the potion from the corner of Harry’s mouth, letting his hand linger on his cheek, and pointed his wand at the sky sending up red sparks.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a general disclaimer, I am not a medical professional and everything in this story is based on light research, conjecture and ~magic~
> 
> Thank you so very much for reading and your support!!!


	4. Chapter 4

Draco followed the healers all the way to the apparition point, his eyes fixed on the figure in the floating stretcher. Right before they disappeared Harry raised his hand and Draco tried to return the gesture but wasn’t sure Harry saw. 

In the empty space where Harry had been the noise of the world came pouring back in, full of rushing about and shouting and far too many people. It seemed like the entire auror department and about half of St. Mungo’s healers were there and mostly just getting in one another’s way.

“Malfoy!”

Draco turned and found Weasley running to him, his already red face flushed, eyes wide.

“They said you found Harry,” Weasley said panting to try and catch his breath.

Draco nodded, “He’s stable and in no danger. The healers have already taken-”

Weasley wrapped him up in a sudden, brutally tight hug, “ _thank you_.” He let go just as quickly and took an abrupt step back, covering up his awkwardness by slapping Draco on the back, “He’s my best mate, you know.”

“The entire wizarding world knows, Weasley,” Draco said stiffly, brushing hands over his clothes, trying to wipe the feeling of the horrid hug off of himself.

Weasley cleared his throat, “Anyway, your assistant-”

Draco stiffened, “Is Donna safe?”

“She’s safe!” Weasley reassured him quickly, “Never let her out of my sight. Something happened though.” He took Draco by the elbow and pulled him along through the mess of people to an area off to the side where there was a ring of green-robed healers, and standing five feet away from them, Donna.

“Donna,” Draco called out as they approached.

She turned and Draco could see that the front of her robe, once a pale blue, had been painted black by blood. Her skin was ashen, her hands shook where she held then in front of her chest, caught between a gasp and a prayer, “I- I-”

Draco took her hands in his, squeezing them tightly. They were bone cold. “What happened, Donna?” He asked in a calm voice.

Her eyes finally focused on his and she took a deep breath that wobbled on the edge of tears, “She was so- It was so bad. I didn’t- I didn’t know what else to do.”

Over her shoulder, one of the healers moved over and for a brief moment, Draco saw Row laying on the ground in a pool of her own blood, a great half-circle of her side completely gone as if something large and terrible had taken a bite out of her.

“Tell me what you gave her,” Draco said, catching Donna’s eye again, trying to keep her focused on himself.

“She was bleeding- so, so much. I-” her mouth opened but nothing came out, her eyes unfocusing.

Draco squeezed her hands tightly, “What did you give her?” he repeated.

She blinked and was looking at him again, tears dripping down her cheeks. “Two blood replenishment potions and deep sleep. I forced them. She was- I don’t know if- if-”

Weasley was back, though Draco hadn’t seen him leave, handing over a blanket. Draco wrapped Donna up in it and cast a warming charm over her as well, “You did the right thing. The healers are still working on her, that means there’s still hope.” He repeated for good measure, “You did the right thing.”

Draco pulled her further away from the healers, “Listen- are you listening to me, Donna?”

Donna nodded blearily.

“Good. You’re going to go home, take the longest, hottest shower you can stand. Then you’re going to take a dreamless sleep and rest. You take as long as you need. Take time off work, see a mind healer, talk with someone. Whatever you need. That’s a direct order from your superior.”

“How c-can ya be so calm?” Donna hiccuped.

“I’ve already seen the worst war can offer,” Draco said.

Donna glanced away guilty, “Right, sorry.”

“And one of these,” Draco pulled out a calming draught and waggled it in front of her.

Donna snorted, smiling weakly, “You fucking wanker.”

Draco nodded in acknowledgement and pressed the potion into her hand, “Take it, use it if you need to. Do you have dreamless sleep?”

“My mum does,” Donna said quietly.

“Good,” Draco said, “You go home now. I can settle everything here.”

“She can’t leave. I have questions that need to be answered,” A healer said brusquely as he hurried over to them.

“She can,” Draco said coolly. He wrapped Donna a little snugger into the blanket and asked Weasley, “Would you see her to the apparition point?”

“Yeah, no problem,” Weasley said with a nod, putting a careful arm around her shoulder.

“I say!” The healer said stepping forward to intercept them.

Draco stepped in front of  _him_  and glared at the healer coldly, “I am her superior and Master Potioneer for the Ministry. Any questions you might have for her, I can answer.”

The healer huffed at him, straightening his shoulders puffing his chest up even though he was a good head shorter than Draco. He had a brown bristly moustache and tiny old fashioned glasses that put Draco in mind of Dumbledore and made him entirely predisposed to loathe the man.

“Healer Maison,” The man said, looking Draco over from head to toe, “I need to know what was given to the young auror.”

Draco took a deep breath, thanking the stars for the calming draught he had taken, “Two blood replenishing potions and a potion of my own design. I’ve been calling it Deep Sleep. It’s meant to act like something like a stasis spell in potion form. Unfortunately, it only slows metabolic rates to a fraction of normal rather than a total stasis.” He carefully plucked a dark purple potion from his bandoleer and held it out to the man, “This is the antidote.”

“Antidote?” Healer Maison’s eyes narrowed.

Draco cursed himself internally, “The potion is a modified and  _safer_  form of the Draught of Living Death. I’ve done all the testing for it and submitted the required paperwork with the Ministry. Everything was found to be satisfactory.”

“My goodness,” Healer Maison said faintly.

“I sent my reports to St. Mungo’s but was told the hospital wasn’t interested,” Draco said, doing his best to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

Healer Maison asked, “Has it been used on people at all or only had animal testing?”

“Both my co-worker and I have taken it three times each and suffered no ill effects, except a bit of portkey-lag from the perceived loss of time,” Draco said.

Healer Maison stared at the potion vial and nodded slightly, “I see. Send your reports directly to me within the hour. That’s to Healer Maison. No delays.”

“I will.”

“See that you do.” Healer Maison turned on his heel and marched back to the circle of healers still at work.

Draco peered between the healers and thought he glimpsed Row looking a great deal more whole than she had when he first walked over. He smirked with tentative pride.

“Malfoy!”

Draco turned and glared at Weasley, “Haven’t you anything better to do than shout at me?”

“Yeah, sending non-essentials offsite so we can start clean up,” Weasley grinned grimly, gesturing a thumb at the apparition point.

“Right then,” Draco gave a quick nod, stepping around Weasley and quickly apparating away.

Back at the office, everyone had been given permission to go home once they’ve reported in. Draco stayed. Sending off a copy of his potion report to Healer Maison, starting on the report of what had happened at the scene, making an inventory of their stock, writing out a brewing schedule, then writing another in case Donna took time off and he had to manage by himself and-

* * *

Draco sat upright with a jerk, a piece of parchment stuck to his cheek. He stretched with the special sort of care that comes from sleeping hunched over a desk all night. Something in his back popped, everything else creaking ominously as the parchment detached itself from his face and gently drifted back onto the desk.

It was early enough that the break room was empty when he went in. Draco made himself a brutally strong tea with far too much sugar and a few of the leftover biscuits no one liked for breakfast and went back to his little laboratory. He finished his report, sending it off with no concern for the greasy biscuit crumbs still stuck to it and started brewing.

He had finished decanting the wound-cleanse and was about to start in on the first of two blood replenishing potions when the door opened and Donna stepped inside. She was wearing muggle loungewear and her hair had been tucked under a scarf.

She smiled faintly at Draco and dropped her bag on the corner of her desk, “Morning.”

“Why are you here? I told you to take some time off,” Draco said a little snappishly.

Donna rolled her eyes, “I slept in, dinna I? An I’d put good money on you havin been here since yesterday.” She took the chair beside him and read over the brewing schedule. “Blood-replenishing? Have you prepped the ingredients?”

“I was just about to,” Draco said, watching as Donna went to their supply cupboard and began collecting the jars they would need, “Wouldn’t you rather have the day off?” he asked.

Donna carefully set the valerian root down on the table, “Wouldna helped much. I thought being here’d keep my mind off it. An before you say anything, me mum has already made me an appointment with a mind healer but it’s tomorrow so,” she shrugged one shoulder, “here I am.”

“I see,” Draco said, watching as Donna set down the rest of the bottles and jars. He squared his shoulders and turned to the cauldron, “Pulverise the valerian whilst I start the honey water.”

Donna snorted a faint laugh, “Yeah, I do know how the potion goes, thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Draco said flatly prompting a proper laugh out of her. He smiled faintly and started the flame under his cauldron.

They worked quietly brewing two cauldrons of blood replenishing potions before a short loud knock on the door caused them both to turn.

Weasley was already pushing the door open, with no sense of formality or common sense for that matter, at least where delicate brewing was concerned.

Draco held his tongue though, Weasley looked ragged and the circles under his eyes suggested that little to no sleep was had the night before.

“Of course you’d be brewing,” Weasley said with dismay, throwing up his hands.

“It’s my job,” Draco said, desperately ignoring the clawing anxiety in his chest at why Weasley would be looking for him.

Weasley rubbed his eyes tiredly, “Honestly, If it weren’t for the way you act around Harry I’d think you were dead inside, Malfoy.”

“He’s not that bad,” Donna said, “A little prickly, is all.”

“To you maybe,” Weasley said.

Draco pointedly cleared his throat, “Is there a reason you’re here?”

Weasley said a touch sarcastically, “Harry’s fine, in case you were wondering.”

“I know. I saw to it myself,” Draco said.

The muscles in Weasley’s jaw clenched, “Alright  _look_ , Harry’s lung collapsed during apparition, they fixed it and the rest of it, he’s got to stay for the next two days to get his strength back and the first thing he did after he woke up this morning is ask if  _you_  were there.”

Draco flushed, his chest squeezing painfully.

Weasley sighed and scrubbed his hair, “Just go see him, you pillock.” He turned to leave and stopped, turning back, “-You know you’re the only one he talks to here?”

Draco shook his head automatically, “Potter speaks to plenty of people-”

“For work, sure,” Weasley interrupted him, “but friends and that sort of thing? He only spends time with his old mates from school and you.  _That’s_  why the other auror’s treat you like shite.”

“Oh, really, and the mark on my arm has nothing to do with it,” Draco said acidly.

“Some,” Weasley said dismissively, “but not nearly as much as you seem to think it does.” He slapped the door frame on his way out calling back over his shoulder, “Go see him, Malfoy!”

Draco stared at the closed door for a long time, his mind racing.

“Catch!”

Draco’s hand snapped up and snatched the little box out of the air.

“Cor, that was quick,” Donna said.

“Seeker in school,” Draco said absently, turning over the box and recognizing it instantly. He glared up at Donna, “Did you take this out of my desk?”

“Might’ve,” she said with a grin.

Draco’s eyes narrowed, “How did you know I had this?”

“Nosy,” Donna said with a shrug, “But that’s his tea, isn’t it? The kind auror Potter likes. You bought it just for him.”

“Not  _just_  for him,” Draco said defensively, turning the unopened box over in his hands.

Donna rolled her eyes, “Whatever helps you sleep at night. Now go on,” she waved at him impatiently, “It’s almost three, you know an they aren’t gonna have that weird muggle brand at Mungo’s are they?”

Draco hesitated.

Donna shoved his shoulder, startling Draco out of his chair.

“ _Go_ ,” she said, taking his seat, “I’ll brew the calming draughts an then clean up all the cauldrons. Have the afternoon off. You’ve done enough work for three days.”

Draco squeezed the box, the plastic wrap crinkling under his fingers. He inclined his head, “Thank you, Donna.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she smiled, “go on with you.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. I thought it would be four parts but my stories always seem to end up getting longer... Oh well.  
> Thank you so much for reading!  
> ♡


	5. Chapter 5

Draco’s shoes clicked across the polished marble floors of St. Mungo’s, the sound seeming too loud in the quiet front hall. About half the chairs along the walls were filled, some with families, worry etched on their faces, and some with reporters, wearing the expressions of hungry jackals, notebooks and quick quills clutched in jittery hands. Draco ignored them all and was utterly ignored in turn. Luckily the press didn’t seem to know he was involved in yesterdays fiasco.

He went to the cafeteria first and got a mug of hot water. He carefully put the little sachet of Harry’s tea leaves in the hot water, watching the clock to make sure it was steeped for the exact time stated on the box.

“Mr Malfoy!”

Draco tore his eyes away from the clock, “Healer Maison,” he tipped his head in greeting.

Maison pushed his glasses up with one hand as he approached,  “Glad to see you! I’ve been through your work, several times in fact.” He held out his hand and after a moment’s hesitation, Draco took it. Maison shook it enthusiastically, “Brilliant work! A shame the hospital ignored it for so long. It’s going to save a lot of lives.”

Draco fell momentarily speechless, “Of-of course. I hope to continue improving it.”

“A stasis spell that doesn’t need a healer to cast it? It couldn’t be much better!”Healer Maison went on excitedly, “The slowing of the metabolic process means that most damage can be healed-”

Draco glanced at the clock. Swearing silently at the time and carefully extracting the tea bag from the cup.

“-before it ever becomes a problem and on those wasting illness’ that require stasis we will no longer have to worry about running our healers ragged and splitting their attention! In emergency situations-”

He added sugar and milk, stirred and put a preservation charm over the mug.

“-a potion can be administered at the scene or by a medi-witch without having to wait for a healer and those precious minutes can be enough to save a life, you know.”

“Yes, well, if you’ll excuse me I’m-” Draco said, turning to leave.

“Are you here to see Auror Rowena?” Maison asked.

“Potter, actually,” Draco said.

Healer Maison straightened and gestured to the doors, “Ah! I was just headed that way myself. Shall we walk together?”

Draco would have quite gladly refused if had any clue whatsoever about where Potter was. He nodded, “After you.”

Maison led the way from the cafeteria and through the maze of hallways and wards, all unnervingly silent until one of the silenced doors were opened to let out whatever horrid sounds lay beyond. Groaning mostly.

“The thing is, my boy,” Healer Maison said as he finished waxing poetic about the possibilities of the deep sleep potion, “I was hoping you might have a few spare potions in your stock until we can brew our own and well…” he stopped by a door and pushed it open. Inside Row was arguing with a medi-wizard. She was half dressed and had been apparently ready to check herself out. Maison tsked under his breath, “might you consider teaching our potions master how to brew it properly?”

Draco grimaced but conceded,“I suppose… when I have time,”

Maison clapped his hands together, “Excellent! I shall owl you to arrange matters. Now!” he stepped into the room, the door drifting slowly shut behind him, “Miss Rowena. You will not be leaving just yet. We will tie you to the bed if we have to-”

Draco stepped away from the door. The presence of the warm mug in his hands finally reminded him of what he was supposed to be doing, and he looked around for some clue of Harry’s whereabouts. All the rooms were quite unhelpfully lacking any name placards.

With a shrug, he began opening doors at random and looking inside until he found a patient with the permanently rumpled black hair Draco could have spotted on the other side of a crowded pitch. Harry was staring out the window, currently spelled to a view of the countryside with low rolling hills, crumbling stone fences and a small herd of sheep. A sheep walked close to the window and bawed silently at Harry as Draco stepped into the room and carefully closed the door behind him.

“I thought you were going to head home,” Harry said.

Draco raised an eyebrow, “I could go, if you prefer.”

Harry jumped in surprise, shaking his head at Draco until he could find his words, “Draco-! I- No, I didn’t mean you! Hermione left a bit ago, I erm thought she’d come back, I guess.”

“Eloquent as always,” Draco said and after a moments hesitation went and sat in the small cushioned chair by Harry’s bed.

“Shut it,” Harry muttered, not quite able to look him in the eye.

Draco liked to imagine there was a blush under that pale brown skin, as he often liked to imagine when he was becoming dangerously hopeful. He took a bracing breath, tea held nervously in between his hands, “Weasley said you wanted to see me.”

“Oh.” Harry said, looking slightly disappointed. “Ron told you to come? You were working then?” He looked down at his hands, curled up in the sheets.

Draco frowned. He felt everything was suddenly veering off on entirely the wrong track.

“I just had it in my head that-” Harry shook his head, the sheet shifting as he gripped it, “Never mind. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“No,” Draco said quickly, “I would have come myself… but I wasn’t about to presume that I-” He frowned, every word seeming to be entirely the wrong one, “I…had any right to.”

Harry’s brow furrowed, “What? Why would you think-?”

Draco looked down at the mug of faintly steaming tea, “…I’ve never been entirely certain of the nature of our meetings. They could mean a great many things. I am not so foolish as to hurt myself by assuming more than I am certain of.”

“And what are you certain of?” Harry asked.

Draco took a deep breath, “Nothing.” He took the preservation charm off the tea and held the mug out.

Harry took it almost mechanically, lost in his thoughts.

Draco looked over at the window. The sheep had gone, rejoining its fellows further off on the hills.

“Thank you, for the tea,” Harry said belatedly, bringing to the mugs to his lips. He took a sip and his eyes widened.

Draco froze, “Not sweet enough-?”

Harry shook his head and took another sip. He smiled against the rim of the mug, “It’s perfect.”

Draco slowly relaxed back into the chair, “Well. Of course.”

“Did you go out and buy the tea yourself?” Harry asked, his eyes crinkled with amusement.

“Should I have conjured it?” Draco said with a  half-hearted sneer.

Harry shook his head, “I’m just trying to imagine you in a Tesco’s is all.”

Draco rolled his eyes.

Harry smiled at him, “I love you, Draco Malfoy.”

“what?” Draco said faintly, feeling as if all the air had been knocked from his lungs.

“I promised to tell you once I was better,” Harry said, setting the mug aside on the little bedside table. He leaned forward, grabbing the front of Draco’s robes and tugging him closer.

Draco let himself be pulled. Standing slightly only to sit on the edge of the bed beside Harry.

He let go of Draco’s robes and haphazardly tried to straighten them back out. Draco grabbed his hands to make him stop and didn’t quite manage to let go once he had.

“Why?” Draco asked, feeling as if he must be dreaming.

“You know, I don’t think even my best friends know how I take my tea, much less the brand or where to get it-,” Harry said.

“The tea?” Draco’s brow furrowed.

“-and you saved my life-”

Draco shook his head.

Harry squeezed his hands, “-and your potion saved Rowena’s life.”

Draco smiled uneasily, “I don’t know how she’s still an auror. She nearly got herself killed twice in only two hours.”

“Yeah, well she’s one of the best duellists in the department, very quick on her feet and good with paperwork,” Harry said.

Draco laughed without meaning to, “Good with paperwork?” he repeated.

“It’s the sort of thing that’s important to higher-ups,” Harry echoed his smile, “…The thing is, you really can’t make assumptions about people. It took me a long time to learn that.”

“Oh…” Draco said softly. He finally let himself relax and studied Harry without worrying about being caught out or embarrassed, his mussed hair, his lopsided smile and brilliant green eyes. Draco carefully let go of Harry’s hand, reaching up to brush his fingertips hesitantly across Harry’s cheek, watching his expression for even the slightest sign of rejection.

Harry’s smile just grew fonder. His eyes crinkled slightly at the corners as he leaned forward and kissed Draco, pausing only to tilt his head to the side and deepen the kiss. Draco’s fingers curled into Harry’s hair, tangling in the silky strands, cupping the nape of his neck and pulling him closer. He brushed over tongue his and Harry’s lips and felt Harry’s mouth open under his with a sigh. Draco felt Harry’s hand slip down his neck and over his collarbone as his other hand continued surreptitiously opening the small buttons of Draco's robes.

“AHEM.”

Draco jerked back and looked at the door.

Granger slowly put her hands on the green-clad hips of her healer’s robes and raised her eyebrows.

“I thought you were going home,” Harry said petulantly.

“I said,” she said coolly, “once I finished my final rounds I would go home. But I thought I’d check on you one last time and I’m glad I did. You’re meant to be resting.”

“I’m fine,” Harry said.

Granger turned her glare on Draco, “Did you know he’s under observation because of the risk of his lung collapsing again and he’s not supposed to be exerting himself in any way for at least a week?”

“Mione!”

Draco looked at Harry and then very pointedly moved back to the chair beside his bed.

Harry collapsed into his pillows with a groan.

“Better,” Granger nodded. She told Draco, “Keep an eye on him, for today at least. I can teach you the spell to reinflate a collapsed lung tomorrow.”

Draco’s eyes widened.

“Ron and Harry say you’re very good with healing spells. I’m sure you’ll pick it up in no time.” Granger smiled and raised her hand in a wave, “Now, I’m heading home. See you tomorrow.”

The door closed nearly silently behind her.

Draco turned back to Harry, twitching one eyebrow up silently.

“It would’ve been fine,” Harry said defensively.

Draco couldn’t quite stop himself from smirking, “Oh, are you a healer now?”

“Prat,” Harry said.

Draco smiled slyly, “So, no exertion means… one kiss every ten minutes?”

Harry perked up, “Five minutes.”

Draco raised an eyebrow.

“Come on, five minutes! It’s a compromise.” Harry said.

“A compromise of what, exactly?” Draco asked biting his lip.

Harry grinned, “A compromise between ten minutes and none.”

Draco laughed. “Five it is,” He stood up, bracing his hands on the bed and leaning forward to kiss Harry, “Starting now.”

-Fin-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hoped you liked it♡

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!!  
> Kudos and Comments are always loved and appreciated very much.


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